JP2017516481A - Milk drinks in containers - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a packaged product consisting essentially of a chilled milk beverage in a closed cup. In order to provide a pleasant foaming mouthfeel, the beverages described above can be foamed by shaking. [Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a dairy beverage in a container, and more particularly to a chilled milk beverage that can exhibit a stable and smooth foam after being shaken by hand.

Background of the Invention

  Any discussion of the prior art herein should not be construed as an admission that such prior art is well known in the art or forms a corner of general knowledge.

  Milk-based beverages have nutritional properties derived from protein and minerals and are well accepted by consumers who recognize water as non-tasteful. Recognized and widely accepted as a healthier alternative to beverages.

  Foamed beverages are valued for their lightness and refreshing taste. However, this is highly dependent on the characteristics of the foam, such as the size and distribution of the foam, the origin of the foam, whether by gasification using carbon dioxide or by fermentation using yeast that produces carbon dioxide.

  U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0020512 relates to a method for enhancing the air bubble retention capacity of a beverage comprising using fermented cellulose as a raw material for the beverage in a complexed state with a polymeric substance.

  In recent years, Nestec S. A. Has filed several patents relating to milk-based beverages as ready-to-drinks that can be stored at room temperature, for example at temperatures ranging from 15 ° C. to 35 ° C. for 3 months. Such beverages are heat treated to avoid spoilage by organisms, but the heat treatment strongly affects stability, causing gelation, water release, and other undesirable physical changes during storage. There is a case. Special stabilizer mixtures have been developed to avoid or mitigate such physical changes. These beverages are not foamy.

  The inventor knows that there are several coffee-flavored milk drinks. However, these beverages have a very watery drinking feel or have a very rich mouthfeel. Watery beverages do not bring the satisfaction that milk beverages have. On the other hand, a thick drink is not very much recognized as refreshing or as a thirst-free one. In addition, these milk beverages do not lather when shaken.

  The inventor has recognized that it is desirable to overcome or ameliorate at least one of the disadvantages of the prior art, or to provide a useful alternative. In particular, the inventor decided to create a pleasant foaming milk drink.

  To this end, the first embodiment of the present invention proposes a packaged product consisting essentially of a chilled milk drink in a closed cup. Here, the beverage is 2.5 to 4.5 wt% milk protein, 1.5 to 5 wt% milk fat, 3 to 7 wt% added sugar, 0.05 to 0.2 wt% Brookfield of such beverages containing xanthan gum, a mixture of 0.4-0.7 wt% cellulose and carboxymethylcellulose, 0.01-0.05 wt% carrageenan, and the remaining 100 wt% water The viscosity is 150 to 490 mPa · s (spindle # 2, 50 rpm, 8 ° C.), the head space is 18 to 26% by volume of the cup volume, and the added sugar is a calorie not found naturally in milk components. Monosaccharides and disaccharides.

  In a second embodiment, the present invention provides 1) a packaged product according to the first embodiment of the present invention, wherein the packaged product consists essentially of a chilled milk beverage in a closed cup, and thereafter 2) Proposing a method for preparing a foamed chilled milk drink comprising shaking this containered product to obtain a foamed chilled milk drink.

  In a third embodiment, the present invention proposes the use of a packaged product according to the first embodiment of the present invention for preparing a chilled milk beverage that foams by shaking. The packaged product here essentially consists of a chilled milk drink in a closed cup.

  These and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art from the detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 3 is a view of a chilled milk drink in a sealed cup.

  As used herein, the word “comprising” is not an exclusive or exhaustive meaning, but an inclusive meaning, ie “including but not limited to” or “ Should be construed as meaning "containing but not limited to". Conversely, the word “consisting of” should be interpreted in an exclusive sense, ie, “limited” except for impurities that would normally be associated with the material, for example. The phrase “consisting essentially of” does not materially affect the claimed material or process and the basic and novel characteristic (s) of the claimed invention. Limited to things.

  As used herein, the word “about” should be understood to apply in connection with a numerical range. Further, all numerical ranges should be understood to include all integers within the range.

  As used herein, the singular articles “a”, “an”, and “the” include plural objects unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

  Unless otherwise noted, all percentages herein refer to weight percentages (denoted as weight percent).

  Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs, i.e., chilled milk beverages, and are given similar meanings. Should be done.

  As shown in FIG. 1, one embodiment of the present invention relates to a packaged product (1) consisting essentially of a chilled milk drink (2) in a closed cup (3). The volume of the cup (3) is divided into a beverage (2) and a headspace (4). The beverage is suitable for preparing a foamy beverage by shaking in a closed cup. The consumer can then open the cup to drink the foamy beverage.

  Throughout this specification a “chilled beverage” refers to a beverage that needs to be stored at refrigerated temperatures for a storage period. The range of the refrigeration temperature is higher than 0 ° C. and up to 6 ° C. “Storage period” represents the period after beverage production until the beverage is transported, stored under a retailer or consumer and consumed.

  A chilled milk drink ("(the) drink") includes a milk ingredient, a flavor ingredient, a mouthfeel ingredient, and water.

  Milk ingredients provide nutritional benefits related to milk. The dairy component may include one or more dairy materials or milk substitutes. For example, the dairy material can be milk, milk fat, milk powder, skim milk, milk protein, cream, and combinations thereof. Examples of suitable milk proteins are casein, casein salt, casein hydrolysate, whey, whey hydrolysate, whey concentrate, whey isolate, milk protein concentrate, milk protein isolate, and These are combinations. Furthermore, the milk protein is, for example, sweet whey, acidic whey, α-lactalbumin, β-lactoglobulin, bovine serum albumin, acid casein, casein salt, α-casein, β-casein and / or γ-casein. There is a case. Suitable dairy ingredients include, for example, soy protein, rice protein, and combinations thereof. In a preferred embodiment, the beverage contains no milk replacer. In one embodiment, the beverage comprises at least one of skim milk, pasteurized whole milk, skim milk powder, and cream. Preferably, the beverage comprises skim milk, cream and skim milk powder. In a preferred embodiment, the beverage does not contain additive oil.

  In one embodiment, the beverage is 1.5 to 5 wt% milk fat, preferably 1.5 to 4 wt% milk fat, more preferably 2.2 wt%, 2.5 wt%, 2.8. Contains less than 5% by weight of milk fat, such as 2% to 3.5% by weight of milk fat, such as 3% by weight or 3% by weight of milk fat. In one embodiment, the fat content of the beverage is low enough that the beverage can be considered a skim milk beverage.

  In one embodiment, the beverage comprises 2.5-4.5% by weight milk protein, preferably 3-4.2% by weight milk protein, more preferably 3.5-4% by weight milk protein. Milk protein affects foamability and foam stability. The protein in the beverage is preferably only milk protein.

  The flavor component brings a flavor to the beverage in addition to the milk flavor derived from the milk component. The flavor component includes a sweetener such as sugar (sucrose) or a non-caloric sweetener. For example, the beverage contains 3-7% by weight added sugar. In one embodiment, the beverage has a “low sugar” content, meaning that it contains less than 4.5 g added sugar per 100 g beverage. “Additional sugar” refers to monosaccharides and disaccharides with calories such as glucose, sucrose, maltose, fructose, etc., which are not naturally found in milk ingredients, added during beverage production. For example, lactose is not considered an “added sugar” for purposes of this disclosure because lactose is found naturally in milk.

  In addition to the sweetener, the flavor component includes a flavor material selected from coffee, cocoa, tea, caramel, vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom, saffron, clove, and mixtures thereof. In a preferred embodiment, the beverage includes a coffee component such as a coffee extract. The coffee extract may be supplied as a liquid or pasty coffee concentrate, or a powdered instant coffee, such as a coffee powder by spray drying or a coffee powder by freeze drying. Preferably, the beverage comprises 0.8 to 1.5% by weight of coffee components such as powdered instant coffee. In one embodiment, the flavor component is decaffeinated coffee.

  The mouthfeel ingredients provide a feeling of drinking and viscosity and help maintain the foamy mouthfeel of the beverage after shaking. The mouthfeel ingredients include xanthan gum, a mixture of cellulose and carboxymethylcellulose, and carrageenan. More specifically, the beverage contains 0.1-0.2 wt% xanthan gum, 0.4-0.7 wt% cellulose and carboxymethylcellulose mixture, 0.01-0.05 wt% carrageenan. Including. The beverage has a Brookfield viscosity of 150 to 490 mPa · s when measured with a Brookfield viscoelasticity measuring device / viscosity measuring device using a spindle 2 at a rotation speed of 50 rpm and 8 ° C.

  In addition, the beverage may include an acidity modifier such as sodium hydroxide. In one embodiment, the beverage comprises 0.04 to 0.09 wt% acidity modifier.

  In one embodiment, the chilled milk beverage contains 18-25% by weight total solids, preferably 19-22% by weight total solids. Total solids content is related to the overall mouthfeel and beverage viscosity.

  Chilled milk beverages are made by preparing a standardized liquid milk composition having 1.5-5% by weight milk fat and 2.5-4.5% by weight milk protein. The mixed composition can be prepared by mixing liquid skim milk, milk cream and skim milk powder. Flavor ingredients such as sugar and coffee ingredients, and ingredients for mouthfeel are also mixed into the liquid mixture composition. For example, mixing is performed at 10 ° C. for 60 minutes. Thereafter, the pH of the mixture may be adjusted with an acidity adjusting agent such as sodium hydroxide. The pH is adjusted to a value between 6.5 and 7.0. The liquid milk composition is then preheated and then sterilized typically at 140 ° C. for 4 seconds. Sterilization eliminates biological contamination from the milk composition. Alternative heat treatment methods are known to those skilled in the art. The sterilized liquid milk composition is then cooled to about 75 ° C. and then homogenized in a conventional homogenizer, typically under a pressure of 150 bar. Homogenization further disperses fat components and other materials. The milk composition is then cooled to refrigeration temperature and filled into a cup. Filling is performed under ultra-clean conditions. In one embodiment, filling may be performed aseptically. In one embodiment, the filling is performed under a controlled atmosphere to drive oxygen out of the headspace. The controlled atmosphere is, for example, a nitrogen atmosphere. The cup is then sealed.

  Maintaining a foamy mouth feel over the storage period requires the use of relatively large amounts of additives to stabilize the foam. However, additives are not always acceptable to consumers. Moreover, the drinking feeling of a storage-stable effervescent beverage may not be comfortable compared to a freshly foamed beverage. The inventor changed the problem and decided to provide a non-foamable beverage that retains a pleasant foamy mouthfeel during drinking rather than ensuring that the beverage has a mouthfeel that foams for the entire shelf life. As mentioned above, the foamy mouthfeel is obtained by shaking the beverage in the closed cup, for example by hand. Shaking by hand can be done by holding the cup in the hand and bending and stretching the arm several times, for example 5-15 times. In general, about 8 to 10 operations are sufficient to produce a pleasant foamy mouthfeel in the beverage.

  It is beneficial to no longer have to worry about the storage stability of the sparkling beverage. Only the storage stability of non-effervescent beverages is of concern. In one embodiment, the beverage is stable for storage at 4 ° C. for 28 days, more preferably at 6 ° C. for 28 days. In other embodiments, the beverage is storage stable at 6 ° C. for 30, 70, or 100 days. Relatively long storage stability can be achieved by ultra-clean manufacturing conditions along with beverage sterilization. However, beverages are not storage stable under normal storage conditions such as temperatures above 18 ° C. Beverages need to be stored in refrigerated conditions in order to maximize their shelf life.

  The cup (3) has a bottom wall (31), a side wall (32) and a lid (33). By shaking the beverage, the gas (41) in the headspace is dispersed as bubbles in the beverage (2). The selection of beverage compositions, particularly hydrocolloids, has been developed to keep air bubbles distributed throughout the beverage during drinking and to provide a pleasant drinking feel. As an event, bubbles are distributed throughout the beverage, providing a pleasant foamy mouthfeel. For example, the beverage retains a foamy mouthfeel for at least 10 minutes after shaking. Foaming mouthfeel evaluation is performed by trained sensory evaluators as described in the examples below. Since the main criterion is the presence of bubbles in the product until the consumer has consumed the beverage, the maximum period of time that bubbles are retained in the beverage is not absolutely critical. Typically, such beverages are drunk within 30 minutes. Preferably, the beverage retains a foamy mouthfeel for at least 15, 20, 25, or 30 minutes. The distribution of bubbles need not be uniform throughout the beverage. Due to bubble coalescence and buoyancy, there may be more and larger bubbles, especially in areas closer to the beverage surface than the bottom of the cup.

  The inventor has found that if the headspace (4) is too small, the sealed cup (3) does not have enough gas (41) to provide a pleasant foaming mouthfeel by shaking. For example, it has been found that 15% by volume headspace is too small to provide a pleasant foamy mouthfeel after shaking. The headspace (4) thus preferably corresponds to a volume of at least 18% (volume%) of the cup volume.

  On the other hand, if the headspace (4) is too large, some undesirable results may occur. First, the consumer may perceive that the cup is not fully filled. Second, large headspace can only be provided in large cups. This increases packaging costs and waste volume. Third, the inventor has found that if the headspace is too large, the cup tends to collapse during the storage period. While not wishing to be bound by theory, the inventor believes that this is due to the consumption of oxygen. During the storage period, especially when the beverage contains a coffee component, the oxygen in the headspace reacts with the beverage. This reduces the internal pressure of the headspace and produces a “depressurization” effect. For example, a cup with 30% by volume headspace showed an unacceptable decompression effect and collapse during storage. These can be solved during the filling and sealing of the cup, for example by blowing nitrogen into the headspace. However, this is an expensive technology. Appropriate between these undesirable results, industrialization considerations, and the need to supply enough gas for foaming when the headspace represents up to 26% by volume of the cup volume It became clear that harmony was possible.

  In one embodiment, the headspace represents 18-26% by volume of the cup volume. That is, when the cup volume is 100 mL, the head space corresponds to 18 mL to 26 mL, and the rest is beverage (74 mL to 82 mL). The head space preferably corresponds to 19-25% by volume of the cup volume, more preferably 20-24% by volume of the cup volume.

  In addition, in order to increase the strength of the cup (3) against the decompression effect, the thickness of the side wall (32) of the cup (3) is the top or top (34) -headspace (4) of the cup (3) In some cases, the lower or bottom portion (35) of the cup (3) -the presence of the beverage (2) -is thicker. This increases resistance to pressure applied by the hand, making it easier to grip and shake the cup.

  In one embodiment, the height of the cup (3) ranges from 90 to 150 mm and the cup volume ranges from 100 to 300 mL. Cup (3) contains the beverage (2) serving. For example, a one-time supply of beverage corresponds to 80 to 220 mL of beverage before shaking.

  In other embodiments, the present invention prepares a foamed chilled milk beverage that includes providing the above-mentioned containerized product and then shaking the containerized product to obtain a foamed chilled milk beverage. Related to the method. The foamy beverage is then in a state suitable for drinking. As mentioned above, a foamy mouthfeel is obtained by shaking (eg by hand) the beverage in the closed cup. Shaking by hand can be done by holding the cup in the hand and bending and stretching the arm several times, for example 5-15 times. In general, about 8 to 10 operations are sufficient to produce a pleasant foamy mouthfeel in the beverage. When preparing a frothed beverage in such a way, the overrun can reach between 12-20%, usually about 15-18%. As shown in the examples below, the commercial product does not produce significant overrun under similar shaking conditions.

The overrun is measured as follows: The volume V of the beverage is measured before shaking (W ₀ ). Shake the product 10 times by hand. The volume V of the shaken beverage is also measured (Wf). Overrun (%) is the solution of the following equation.

here:
W ₀ = volume weight of the first beverage (beverage without air introduced)
Wf = final weight of the same volume of shaken beverage (beverage introduced with air)

Example 1
Prepare several types of milk beverages by adding sugar and other flavoring ingredients, mouthfeel ingredients and sodium hydroxide as an acidity adjuster, and mixing skim milk powder and milk cream into liquid skim milk did. The mixture was then preheated to 70 ° C. and sterilized at 140 ° C. for 4 seconds, then cooled to 75 ° C. and homogenized under 150 bar. Thereafter, the liquid beverage was cooled to about 10 ° C. and filled into a cup. The total cup volume was approximately 250 mL and was filled with 190 mL milk beverage. This left about 60 mL of headspace corresponding to 24% by volume. The production of the liquid milk drink was performed under normal pressure under ultra-clean conditions.

  During the storage period, i.e. up to 70 days at 6 ° C, no collapse of the cup was seen. During the storage period, a slight increase in beverage viscosity up to a maximum of 490 mPa · s was observed.

  The composition of the product is shown in the table below.

  A mixture of cellulose and carrageenan is AVICEL PLUS CM2159. Xanthan gum is SATIAXANE CX91.

  The results of beverage analysis are shown below.

^＊粘度は保存期間の最初に測定した。上述の明細書に説明したとおりに測定した。

^* Viscosity was measured at the beginning of the shelf life. Measurements were made as described in the above specification.

Example 2
The beverage of Example 1 was compared to a commercial coffee flavored chilled milk beverage. An example of such a commercial beverage is EMMI's CAFE LATTE. After shaking the sealed cup 10 times, the shaken beverage was sampled, and the drinking feeling and foam stability were evaluated and compared. Evaluation was performed by sensory evaluators trained for mouthfeel evaluation. The beverage was sampled immediately after shaking and every 5 minutes thereafter for 30 minutes.

  The beverage of Example 1 maintained a pleasant foaming mouthfeel after 30 minutes of shaking, but EMMI's CAFE LATTE lost foaming after the first 5 minutes of shaking. Also, the bubbles immediately fused on the surface of the beverage.

  The overrun of the shaken beverage was also measured. The beverage of Example 1 showed about 16% overrun immediately after shaking, whereas EMMI's CAFFE LATETE showed only about 1% overrun immediately after shaking.

  The conclusion was that the beverage of Example 1 had a pleasant foamy mouthfeel after shaking and was held for at least 30 minutes.

  While preferred embodiments have been disclosed herein in connection with specific examples, it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to the preferred embodiments. Various modifications may be apparent to those skilled in the art and may result from the practice of the invention. It is understood that the materials and chemical details used may be slightly different from or amended from the specification without departing from the methods and compositions disclosed and taught by the present invention. Will.

Brief description of symbols

1 in a container 2 chilled milk drink 3 cup 31 bottom wall 32 side wall 33 lid 34 top of side wall 35 bottom of side wall 4 headspace 41 headspace gas

Claims (13)

  A packaged product consisting essentially of a chilled milk beverage in a closed cup, wherein the beverage is 2.5-4.5 wt% milk protein, 1.5-5 wt% milk fat, 3-7 % By weight added sugar, 0.05-0.2% by weight xanthan gum, 0.4-0.7% by weight cellulose and carboxymethylcellulose mixture, 0.01-0.05% by weight carrageenan, and the rest The beverage has a Brookfield viscosity of 150 to 490 mPa · s (spindle # 2, 50 rpm, 8 ° C.), and the headspace is 18 to 26% by volume of the cup volume. And packaged products wherein the added sugars are monosaccharides and disaccharides with calories not naturally found in the milk ingredients.   The packaged product of claim 1, wherein the beverage further comprises a flavoring material selected from coffee, cocoa, tea, caramel, vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom, saffron, clove, and mixtures thereof.   The packaged product of claim 2, wherein the flavor material comprises a coffee extract.   4. A packaged product according to claim 2 or 3 comprising 0.8 to 1.5% by weight of coffee extract.   The packaged product according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the beverage further comprises an acidity adjuster of 0.04 to 0.09% by weight.   The containerized product according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the beverage is storage-stable at 6 ° C for 28 days.   7. A product in a container according to any one of claims 1 to 6, which retains a foamy mouthfeel for at least 10 minutes after the beverage has been shaken.   The packaged product according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the height of the cup is in a range of 90 to 150 mm, and the volume of the cup is in a range of 100 to 300 mL.   The product in a container according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein a thickness of a side wall of the cup is thicker at an upper part of the cup than at a lower part of the cup.   A method for preparing a foamed chilled milk beverage, comprising 1) providing the packaged product according to any one of claims 1-9, and then 2) obtaining the foamed chilled milk beverage. Shaking the packaged product for the process, wherein the packaged product consists essentially of a chilled milk drink in a closed cup.   The method of claim 10, wherein the shaking is performed by hand.   The method according to claim 11, wherein shaking by hand is performed by shaking the sealed cup 5 to 15 times.   Use of a packaged product according to any one of claims 1 to 9 for preparing a foamed chilled milk beverage by shaking, wherein the packaged product is essentially a chilled milk beverage in a closed cup. Use, consisting of

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